Advertising-display device.



. F. GRAHAM & S. C HAWTHORNE.

ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I3, I916. 1,2293% Patented June 12, 1917. 2 SHEETS-SHEEI' I.

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ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1916.

' Patented June 12, 1917. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM F. GRAHAM AND SAMUEL C. HAWTHORNE, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

ADVERTISING-DISPLAY DEVICE.

Application filed April 13, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. GRAHAM and SAMUEL (J. HAWTHORNE, citizens of the United States, residing atLincoln, in the county of Lancaster andState of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising-Display Devices and we do hereby declare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in advertising display devices and more particularly to that class adapted to be used on street cars or other public places for displaying advertising placards or signs and our object is to provide a casing, one or both side faces of which are open for displaying the signs therethrough.

A further object is to provide rollers at the ends of the housing around which the advertising placards or signs are adapted to travel.

A further object'is to provide means for attaching the ends of the signs together whereby an endless belt of signs may be formed.

A further object is to provide bearing casters for the ends of the cross bars to hold the signs in proper spaced relation within the casing. r

A further object is to provide means for retracting one of the rollers when the signs are being introduced around or removed from the rollers.

A further object is to provide tensioning means for said'movable roller whereby the belt of signs will be held taut or in stretched position.

A further object is to provide adjustable bearings for said rollers, and

A further object is to provide driving means for one of said rollers whereby the belt of signs will have a continuous endwise movement of the casing to successively exhibit the'signs through the openings in the casing.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the accompanying specification.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, ILWVZ.

Serial No. 90,918. V

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this specification,

Flgure 1 1s a front elevatlon of our improved device showing parts thereof broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the rack showing parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through one end of the rack.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the opposite end of the rack.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the meeting ends of two of the signs showing the cross bar for attachin said ends together, parts of the cross bar sing in open position.

Fig. 6 is an edge elevation of the cross bar with the signs removed.

Fig. 7 is a front face view thereof, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through a cross bar and the ends of the signs cooperating therewith.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the side walls of the casing which are preferably constructed of wood as are also the top and bottom walls 2 and 3, said side and top and bottom walls being secured together at their ends by means of metal plates l and 5, said plates having angular extensions 6 and 7 respectively which overlap the top and bottom walls for a distance and are attached thereto in any suitable manner thereby strongly reinforcing the casing at the points of greatest strain.

Portions of the side walls 1 are removed .to form visual spaces or openings 8 through which the display signs or advertising placards 9 may be viewed, the height of the visual spaces being less than the width of the signs so that the edges of the signs will not be exposed to view.

The bodies of the signs are preferably formed of linen covered paper, paper covered cloth or any suitable tough and flexible material upon which the display matter is to be printed or painted, said signs being formed into an endless belt by providing loops 10 at the ends of the signs 9 through which extend wires or rods 11, each sign having notches 12 and 13 at the ends and central portion respectively of the loop 10 thus exposing portions of the rods 11 for engagement with tongues 14; and 15, which tongues enterthe notches 12 and 13 respectively.

The tongues 14 and 15 are arranged in pairs and cooperate with the meeting ends of two of the sign sections, said tongues being attached to one) plate 16 of a cross bar 17, the opposite plate 18 of the cross bar being pivoted at one end with the plate 16 while the opposite end of the plate 18 is adapted tobe secured, by means of a sliding link 19, to hold the plate 18 in registration over the ends of thesign sections 9. In attaching or removing the signs, the link 19 is moved outwardly to release the plate 18, and said plate swung to the position shown in Fig.5 of the drawing, when the rod 11 may be readilyengaged with or disengaged from the tongues 1d and 15 and when the ends of the signs have been properlyreiingaged with the tongues, the plate 18 is again sw-ung into position over the plate 16 and the link moved over the end" of the plate 18 and as the tongues 14: and 15 extend. from the plate 16-to the plate 18, the ends of the signs will be securely locked in engagement with the cross bar.

By providing a cross bar at the meeting ends of the signstructures 9 an endless belt 20is formed, which is disposed around rollers-21 and 22 at theopposite ends of the housingand asthe belt is of considerable length when placed in a streetcar or similar vehicle, in order to prevent the belt from sagging or getting out of proper alinement atpoints between the rollers, each end of each cross bar is provided with acaster 23, whicheasters are rotatably mounted on. axles 24 extending transversely through the plate 16 and clip -members 25 attached to said plate 16, the outer ends of the clip members being spaced from the plate 16 for the reception of said casters, the tongues 1 1 be ing also formed integral with the inner ends of 'the cli'ps. In order to hold the belt taut at all times and take up any slack caused by the stretching of the sign sections, the roller 21 is mounted'in bracket 26 preferably construeted of metal, the arms 27 of the.

bracket being slidably mounted between guides 28, carried by bearing plates 29 on the inner faces of the top and bottom walls 2 and 3, while the cross bar 29 connecting the inner ends of the arms-is secured to bolts 30, which bolts are slidably mounted in the end of a reinforcing frame 31, coil springs 32 being introduced around the bolts between the cross bar 29 and reinforcing frame 31, the tension of said springs being such: as to normally hold the roller 21 extended and the belt in stretched condition.

As it would be a difficult matter to attach the belt around the roller when in their normal positions we have provided means for retracting the roller 21 and the bracket carrying the same, which consists of a shaft 33 extending vertically through the casing and through elongated slots 34: in the arms 27, said shaft having cams 35 attached thereto which are adapted to be turned against the cross bar 29 to force the cross bar and parts attached thereto inwardly, thereby shortening the distance between the rollers 21 and 22 and giving a sufficient slack to the belt 20. astopermit the introduction of a new sign section, or placing a belt of new sign sections around the roller. As soon as the belt is readjusted around the rollers, the cams-35 are returned to theirinitial position'by'further rotating the shaft 33, whereuponthesprings 32 will. immediately force the roller21 outwardly and stretch the'belt taut-around the roller, whereby, when said rollersare rotated, the. belt will be moved lengthwise of the casing. The operation of the shaft .33 and cams carried therebyis accomplished in any suitable manner as by attaching a crank 36 to oneend of theshaft sothat said crank can be readily grasped for rotat-ingthe shaft Theibelt 20 is caused to travel longitudinally of the casing by projecting one end of the roller 22 through the bottom wall .3 of the casing and-securing thereto a 7 gear wheel 37, with which eooperates a vworm gear 38 carried by a shaft 39, the outer end of said shaft having a grooved pulley 40 attached thereto to which any suitable formof power may be attached, such as a springoperated motor oranelectrically operated motor, but as said devices form noipart of our invention 'it' is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same. The ends of the rollers 21 and 22 are provided with substantially cone-shaped bearings 41 with which cooperate bearing points 42, the-engaging endsof said bearing points being likewise substantially conical to fit the interior of the cone-shaped bearings, the body portions ofsaid bearing points being exterior-1y threaded so that they may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly as occasion may require, said points being held in adjusted position by means of lock nuts 413. The bearing points 12 supporting the roller 21 are engaged with the arms 27 of the bracket 26 while one of the points supporting the roller 22 extends through a metal block 14 in the top wall 2 and the opposite pointvprojects through a bar 45 positioned below the gear wheel 37 and attached tothe angular extension 60f the end plate 41-.

The rollers 21 and 22 are preferably providedwith longitudinal bores46, whilethe apex of each cone-shaped bearing 11 is likewise provided with a bore 47 which registers with the bore 46 and by introducing graphite or similarlubricantinto the bores previous to engaging the bearing points with the bearings, said points and hearings will be properly lubricated for an indefinite period.

In operation, the sign sections are attached together end to end by means of cross bars 17 with the exception of one set of the sections and said connected sections then introduced around the rollers 21 and 22, the roller 21 having first been retracted, and the front side wall removed. The ends of the two unfastened sections are then brought together and attached to one of the cross bars, after which the roller 21 is released and moved toward the end of the casing until the belt is stretched taut. The side wall is then returned to position when the device is ready for operation and as the casters at the opposite ends of the cross bars bear respectively against the inner faces of the top and bottom walls of the casing, the belt will be prevented from sagging or wrinkling and when power is applied to the pulley 40 the belt will travel lengthwise and successively display the signs until such time as the power is disconnected from the pulley.

Should it be desired to remove any one of the sign sections it can be very readily accomplished by first retracting the pulley 21, removing the side wall of the casing and then swinging the plates 18 of the two cross bars at the ends of the sign section to be removed, to a horizontal position, when said sign section can be lifted out of engagement with the tongues of the cross bar and a new one engaged therewith. The plates 18 are then returned to their initial positions and secured by the links 19, then rotating the cams and permitting the roller 21 to return to its normal position and restoring the front wall of the casing, the device is again ready for use.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 1- 1. In a display device, the combination with a casing having visual spaces therein, a pair of rollers in said casing, and means to rotate one of said rollers, of a plurality of sign sections, said sections having loops at each end provided with inwardly extending recesses, rods disposed through said loops, cross bars pivotally connected together at one end and adapted to embrace the meeting ends of said sign sections, means disposed between said cross bars and carried by one of said cross bars and adapted to engage through said section recesses between the inner ends of said recesses and the rods extending therethrough, and means to lock the free ends of the cross bars together over the loop ends of said sign sections.

2. In a display device, the combination with a casing having visual spaces therein, a pair of rollers in said casing and means to rotate one of said rollers, of a plurality of sign with a cut away portion intermediate its ends, tongues rigid with said cross bar and disposed in said cut away portion, said tongues being also arranged in opposed relation and adapted to project through said section recesses between the inner ends of said recesses and the rods extending therethrough, another cross bar pivotally con nected at one end to one end of the first mentioned cross bar, and means to lock the free ends of said cross bars together over the loop ends of said sections.

3. In a display device of the class described, the combination with a casing, and a driven roller in one end thereof, of a bracket slidably mounted in the other end of said casing, a roller rotatably mounted in said bracket, an endless sectional belt surrounding said rollers, spring tension means serving to keep said belt taut, and a cam adapted to engage said bracket to move it inwardly and longitudinally of the casing to slacken said belt.

4. I11 a display device of the class described, the combination with a casing, and a driven roller in one end thereof, of bearing plates mounted on the inner opposed surfaces of said casing, a bracket slidably mounted between said bearing plates, a roller rotatably mounted in said bracket, an endless sectional belt surrounding said rollers, spring tension means serving to normally keep said belt taut, and a hand operable cam adapted to engage said bracket to move it inwardly and longitudinally of the casing to slacken said belt.

5. In a display device of the class described, the combination with a casing, and a driven roller in one end thereof, of a substantially U-shaped bracket slidably mounted in th other end of said casing, a roller rotatably mounted in said bracket, an endless sectional belt surrounding said rollers, spring tension means arranged within said casing and adapted to bear against said U- shaped bracket and serving to keep said belt taut, and a hand operable cam adapted to engage said bracket to move it inwardly and longitudinally of the casing against said tension means to slacken said belt.

6. In a display device of the class described, the combination. with a casing, and a driven roller in one end thereof, of a U- shaped bracket slidably mounted in the other end of said casing, the parallel arms of said bracket formed with longitudinally extending slots, a roller rotatably mounted in the outer ends of said arms, an endless sectional belt surrounding said rollers, spring tension means bearing against said bracket, a rotatable shaft disposed through the casing and the slots of said bracket arms, names to this specification in the presence of cams rigid on sald shaft and adapted to two subscrlblng witnesses.

engage said U-shaped bracket, and a handle mounted on the outen end of said shaft 5 wherebysaid cams may be rotated to move the U-shaped bracket inwardly and longi- Vitnesses: tudinally of the casing to slacken said belt. J OHN CARR, In testimony whereof we have signed our WVM. GRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

